Ahead of the forthcoming 6 Hours of Barcelona presented by Visit Qatar – round seven of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign – Genesis Magma Racing Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul has been assessing the South Korean manufacturer’s debut season in the series’ headlining Hypercar category.
The FIA WEC field returns to European soil this weekend (16-18 October) for the penultimate instalment of a thrilling 2026 season – the 6 Hours of Barcelona presented by Visit Qatar – as international endurance racing’s elite reunites just three weeks on from a drama-filled 6 Hours of Fuji.
For Genesis Magma Racing, the Asian leg served as a vivid snapshot of both its promising potential and its operational learning curve. “The positive takeaway is that we were capable of achieving a standout result. On the flipside, we were unable to secure it,” summarises Team Principal, Cyril Abiteboul in an exclusive interview with fiawec.com.
In the foothills of Mount Fuji, the Hypercar newcomer continued its ascent up the hierarchy by placing its pair of GMR-001s third and fifth on the starting grid. “In free practice, our qualifying simulations showed that the car was performing well, and we planned ahead to make sure we were ready in case qualifying was cancelled, which paid off,” explains Justin Taylor, Chief Engineer for the South Korean outfit.
Despite having no prior tyre data at Fuji Speedway, Genesis was in the thick of the fight for a maiden podium with its #19 entry shared by Daniel Juncadella, Paul-Loup Chatin and Mathieu Jaminet. “The car had decent pace, running fifth while managing tyres and the gaps,” notes the latter. “It was one of the first times this year that we were genuinely competing up front.”
Unfortunately, with under 45 minutes remaining on the 6 Hours of Fuji clock, the Hyundai Group’s premium brand saw its hard work unravel. Late drive-through penalties – due to a failure to respect the black-and-orange flag for the #17 car, and speeding under yellow flag conditions for the #19 – sent both prototypes tumbling down a packed Hypercar field, leaving the team to walk away empty-handed.
“You can either take pride in competing for the podium in only our sixth race, or feel frustration over the mistakes,” Abiteboul says. “I think the reality lies somewhere in-between.” While acknowledging the team’s relentless effort to refine the GMR-001, the Hyundai Motorsport President stresses the urgency of similarly refining operational execution to eliminate mistakes that cost places and points.
Such setbacks are hardly surprising given the squad’s inexperience in the FIA World Endurance Championship, but Abiteboul refuses to ‘use the programme’s youth as an excuse’. “I don’t buy into the mindset that making mistakes is great because it helps you to learn. Personally, that philosophy doesn’t appeal to me. We don’t need to make mistakes to make progress.”
Nevertheless, Abiteboul points out that if Genesis’ shortcomings are this apparent, it is because the marque has commanded attention for all the right reasons in its inaugural campaign – and there is no question that the team has rapidly adapted to top-flight competition. “We set ourselves ambitious targets, and they have already been met,” says the French executive, highlighting the reliability of the 3.2-litre, twin-turbo V8-powered GMR-001. “We have now completed two consecutive races without a single technical glitch. That is hugely satisfying, because reliability – essential and non-negotiable when representing a manufacturer – is particularly tough to achieve in endurance racing.”
For his debut season in FIA WEC, the former Renault F1 Team Managing Director, who simultaneously oversees Hyundai’s WRC project, brings a wealth of high-level motorsport management experience – and Genesis is reaping the rewards. “We quickly identified what was strategic, what was top priority and what was secondary. F1 teaches you how to pinpoint key performance differentiators, while rallying instils the value of solid homologation, robust durability and racking up kilometres.”
The GMR-001s will further increase their on-track mileage this weekend in Spain during the penultimate round of the campaign. For once, Genesis Magma Racing enjoys prior knowledge of the venue, having conducted tests at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last December. Does that raise expectations? “First and foremost, I expect us to maintain our reliability and focus on ourselves. Right now, our main enemy is ourselves. We need to bulletproof our procedures, communication and execution.”
Abiteboul, who turned 49 today, targets 2027 as a decisive step forward for Genesis Magma Racing following this learning season. The roadmap is clearly defined: maintain reliability and move closer to operational excellence: “If we achieve that, we will be in a position to score points in every race, which is likely our minimum goal.”
Next year, the battle for points will intensify further in the Hypercar category with the arrival of two automotive giants – Ford and McLaren. “We can’t wait to go head-to-head with them,” he concludes. “Strong competition from prestigious brands is fantastic news. This golden age of endurance racing must allow everyone to work with composure, but with the right ambition for the medium-to-long term – because for us, this is definitely a long-term commitment.”
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